alt Hacker NewsCould we just link to the original source instead of Gizmodo’s editorialized bad take?
https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-418890A1.pdf
I’ll start by saying that it pains me to have to defend anything out of Carr’s mouth, but “loyalty” isn’t anywhere in that doc. Carr calls for a pledge to air PSAs and what have you, not loyalty. And when he complains of civic illiteracy, is he wrong? Ironically, how do we think we got into this mess of the current administration? Is Carr wrong in calling for the airing of things like School House Rock? Is it so bad to start the broadcast day with the national anthem? (Trick question, because when I was a kid some 50 years ago, I remember the broadcast day ending with the national anthem. Was never up early enough to find out what they did at the start of the day.)
The way Gizmodo words it, you’d think Carr is requiring that all broadcasters air blatant government propaganda. And maybe the FCC document is just a dog whistle, I don’t know. Maybe I’m wrong. But the original document takes about five minutes to read, and I strongly suggest you read it and judge for yourself, rather than get all riled up from TFA’s editorializing.
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Thankyou for your well-moderated reading of the text, you're absolutely right that Gizmodo's article is blowing it out of proportion. The actual ask is not so absurd. My reading of the text is that all of the following are encouraged:
- The national anthem / pledge of allegiance (explicitly suggested by the text)
- Civics-related stuff -- information about voting, how laws are passed, the branches of govt, the separation of powers, etc.
- Arts that are "truly" American -- Blues, Jazz, Rock n Roll, etc. I know there will be disagreement about what counts as "American", but I think it's clear that there are some art forms that wouldn't exist without America's unique mixture of cultures.
- Things about America's history -- speeches from George Washington/Lincoln/MLK/Other significant figures, the musical Hamilton, the emancipation proclamation, the text from the statue of liberty, discussion of Japanese internment camps, the history of Hawaii/Peurto Rico/Alaska/Any relevant state, etc
I'm sure there will also be some less inclusive bits of history that are endorsed by some broadcasters. But Carr's message is not asking for that, it's just encouraging an increased focus on America. America is a melting pot, and has a great history of including downtrodden people, as well as a long history of injustice. A focus on America _doesn't_ mean we endorse the injustice. If anything, I think the injustice should be discussed, because they make the big shifts even _more_ palpable. There are people alive today that went to segregated schools. That's insane, and personally I do think that knowledge changes my behavior. I'd be very happy to be reminded about those things by public radio.
There is one line that I felt was a bit concerning, but I think it really depends on your reading of the text (emphasis mine):
> The Pledge America Campaign [encourages broadcasters to air] ... _pro-America_ content"
Carr threatened ABC's broadcasting license by saying they could go "the easy way or the hard way" after Jimmy Kimmel made a joke that offended MAGA. Why would we give the administration the benefit of the doubt here?
They're obviously not a unifying force looking to make people love America again by making it better; I would liken them to a North Korean PR team.
Even then... the social cohesion in this country has lapsed so much in my half century of life that I can't help but think maybe we could use a little propaganda to come together more as a country.
I can't help but remember one example of my youth to my son's youth a few decades later. When I was in school, the position on fights is if you have the ability to intercede to stop it, you have a responsibility to do so... by the time my son was in school it was, "don't get involved, get a teacher or call the police."
It's just such a stark contrast to me that it's hard to fathom where things are now a couple decades further still from when I was a young kid in later elementary school and Jr. High. Without a shared society and cohesion, we're largely doomed as a society. I realize that some people actually want this, but I really don't.
I want our nation and our people to be successful.
"The Pledge America Campaign enables broadcasters to lend their voices in support of Task Force 250 and the celebration of America’s 250th birthday by airing patriotic, pro-America content that celebrates the American journey and inspires its citizens by highlighting the historic accomplishments of this great nation from our founding through the Trump Administration today."
Even ignoring the context (Trump censoring things, limiting private institutions speech, murdering people because their state's governor said mean things, etc, etc), the text of the page you link to clearly says broadcasters will need to air pro-Trump programming.
If you take context into account by looking at how the administration has redefined many of the words they use in the document (I guess you'd call that a "dog whistle"), then it's even more clear this is the Trump's attempt to force the news media to air a coordinated propaganda campaign during a pivotal election year.